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JOHNSON CITY — A researcher in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health is studying how mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) gene affect heart function.
 
“Approximately 3 million Americans have a heterozygous mutation of ATM,” said Dr. Suman Dalal, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences. “Individuals with ATM mutations show enhanced vulnerability to ischemic heart disease and die 11 years earlier than the non-carriers.”
 
Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) is an enzyme residing in the nucleus of the cell. Its main function is to repair the DNA. Mutations in the ATM gene cause Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) disease.
 
Dalal received a major grant from ETSU’s Research Development Committee (RDC) for her research, which she hopes will contribute to a better understanding of why AT patients are more susceptible to heart attacks. RDC Major Research Grants aim to encourage faculty initiation, development and continuation of research and scholarship projects that have the potential for enhancing productivity and for attracting external funding.
 
Dalal is applying for external funding for her research and hopes it will have an impact on the treatment of ischemic heart disease, which is a leading cause of death worldwide, with more than a million cases expected to occur in the United States this year.
 
“In addition to understanding how the gene mutations affect heart function, this research may also help reduce mortality in AT patients with heart disease and the burden of heart disease cost on society,” she said. “My proposed study will help identify novel intracellular targets to develop therapeutic strategies in the treatment of ischemic heart disease in AT patients.”
 
Dalal began her work at ETSU as a research scholar and earned her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in 2015. Before her faculty appointment in the College of Public Health in 2020, she served as a research assistant, research associate and adjunct faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
 
In addition to teaching and her own research, Dalal enjoys involving undergraduate students in research and training them in various aspects of cardiovascular disease.
 
To learn more about the ETSU College of Public Health, visit www.etsu.edu/cph.